


Shagability

by SableUnstable



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Brief Sexual Content, Explicit Language, M/M, Marauders' Era, WolfStar Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-03-16 17:43:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3497141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SableUnstable/pseuds/SableUnstable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus has a superpower. Sirius is sure of it. It's one that the quiet, unassuming werewolf isn't even aware of possessing, and it's one that drives Sirius completely up the wall. </p><p>...or three times Sirius Black was an utter twat and the one time he wasn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Bzykalność](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8681200) by [theKasiaLin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theKasiaLin/pseuds/theKasiaLin)



> Cross-posted from my FF.net account of the same name. I do not own Harry Potter. Enjoy!

"You're glaring again."

Neither the comment, nor the amusement in James's voice, stopped Sirius from staring frustrated holes into the two people sitting on the sofas by the fire on the other side of the common room. They were chatting to each other in what the bloke on the sofa probably though was an innocent, friendly manner. To everyone who wasn't blind, however it was quite clear it wasn't friendship the girl was after. She was leaning towards the boy with her head cocked to the side, her legs crossed and her uniform skirt draped deliberately high across her thighs, her shiny, painted lips parted and her blue eyes inviting. Her body language was blatant and very obvious, not to mention the way she kept shifting her shoulders to part the top of her unbuttoned collar open further.

The little hussy didn't want the manner to remain friendly. Not at all. But, as always, the boy she was flirting with was oblivious to all these little tells.

Remus John Lupin wouldn't realize a girl was coming on to him if it was shouted in his ear. And even after that he'd deny it, nervously laugh it off, tell the informant to stop kidding around. Because someone couldn't possibly be interested in him. Not him _,_  a werewolf who was covered in scars he thought marred his already relatively average looks. Not him, someone who took his prefect duties seriously, studied all the time and rarely socialized outside his chosen group of friends. Not him, a quiet, inconspicuous,  _boring_  seventh-year student who kept to the side-lines unless he was trying, rather ineffectively, to rein in his much more boisterous, outgoing best mates.

No, no one could possibly be interested in  _him._ Why would they be? He had nothing to offer and never would, and he sure that that fact was stamped in large, red letters across his forehead, for all the world to see.

That wasn't what everyone saw, however. The werewolf gave off an aura of something else entirely, and it was that that drew suitors towards him like bees to honey.

Likeability. Introversion.  _Vulnerability._

It was his superpower. Sirius was bloody sure of it. His bottom lip pushed out into a pout as he watched every attempt on the girl's part fall far wide of the mark, the resulting determination building steadily in her eyes. Members of both sexes had come to the conclusion that Remus Lupin was shy. Closed off. That he was in need of healing. That all he really needed was to be brought out of his shell, and that he or she were the perfect ones to do it. He was, essentially, a challenge.

Add in the sandy-blond locks that looked soft and invitingly touchable, the sadness that sometimes shadowed his soft green eyes, growing around certain points of the month, and the sinewy muscle visible in his arms and shoulders on hot days when his friends convinced him to strip off his jumper, and you had a lad who could have anyone he bloody well wanted.

If only he knew what was being offered, by half the damn school. All the bloody time. Over and over and fucking  _over._

It wasn't fair! Sirius fumed silently as he glowered at the pair, eyes narrowing when the girl – some sixth-year Ravenclaw whose Gryffindor friend had let in to try her luck and was currently watching avidly from over by the window – place her hand on Remus's leg. The bloke could pull like nobody's business, and he  _didn't even know it!_  Sure, Sirius got his fair share of action as well – he was Sirius Black after all – but it utterly  _galled_  him that Remus was getting all this tail thrown at him and he was fucking clueless! And even when he did on the  _very_  rare occasion figure it out, his go-to response was to blush all cutely and turn it down! Which, of course, only made the hordes more determined!

It just… it made no  _sense!_  Sirius had the looks, charm and sex appeal, and he still had to work for it at times, while all Remus had to do was come downstairs looking tired and weary, with a false smile pinned in place, and it seemed like the most of the population of Hogwarts flocked to him!

Just like little Miss Ravenclaw was doing now. Sirius snarled under his breath, beyond irritated. It just wasn't fair!

"Merlin, if looks could kill. What'd Abigail ever do to Sirius?"

"My guess? She exists," James answered absently, finishing the sentence he was writing in his Charms essay before looking up and smiling at his fellow Head and girlfriend. "She's trying her luck with Moony, and you know how Pads gets when people do that."

"Ah. So that's why he looks like he wants to skin her alive and use what's left in a potion to cure rather nasty boils on someone's behind."

"With the way he's growling, I think boils on the arse would still be entirely too good for her."

"I can hear you, you know," Sirius grunted, gaze still fixed across the room. The stifled laughter behind him finally had him looking around, a dark scowl aimed at the redheaded girl and her messy-haired, bespectacled boyfriend. "And it's not her that's annoying me. It's  _him._ "

"Who, Remus? Why?" Lily asked while James snorted quietly and then smirked when Sirius sent him another glare. "Did you two fight or something? What'd you do to him?"

"Me? I didn't do anything! Why do you automatically assume I did something wrong?"

The coolly arched brow had Sirius's mouth pulling into something between a grimace and a dirty look.

"Fine, whatever. But this time I didn't do anything. It's him and his stupid shagability that's the bloody problem."

There was a brief pause.

"Sorry… his what?" Lily asked slowly, her face the picture of bafflement. Sirius rolled his eyes. Like she hadn't noticed.

"His shagability," he repeated through his teeth, pissed off grey eyes flicking back to the couple across the room, spine straightening when he noticed that Remus was now alone, legs curled under him and his face buried in a book. A quick sweep of the room showed the Ravenclaw and her Gryffindor friend walking towards the portrait hole, a look of almost bewildered frustration on the Ravenclaw's face while her friend looked nothing more than smug.

The same satisfied expression twisted Sirius's features and he sat back with a sigh, his stomach unknotting. Another one bites the dust.

"Shagability? Like the words 'shag' and 'ability' mashed together?"

Sirius turned his head and blinked at the girl, who was peering at him from her perch on the arm of James's chair, her brow lined with confusion. "Aren't you meant to be a smart one?"

" _Excuse_  me?" Lily snapped, her head whipping around at the bark of laughter from James, whose face morphed from entertained to disapproving in the blink of an eye.

"Oi, no insulting my Lilyflower, Padfoot," he ordered, amusement still dancing behind the exaggerated scowl in his hazel eyes. "And what he's talking about, oh beautiful, perfect, love of my life-"

"Don't push it, Potter."

"-is the appeal he's convinced our Moony throws off without knowing he's doing it. He thinks it's insulting that he can draw so many in, and yet doesn't do anything about it."

"It's a travesty, is what it is," Sirius grumbled, reluctantly pulling his own Charms essay out of his bag. Now that he was no longer distracted he might actually be able to concentrate on it. "To be able to pull like that and waste it. He can have anyone he wants within a five kilometre radius. A superpower with that kind of blast range should at least go to someone who'd  _appreciate_ it."

"Anyone, huh?"

Sirius's head lifted at the blatantly laughing tone, a frown forming when he saw the secret little smirk Lily and James were exchanging. "What?"

"Nothing, Sirius, don't worry about it," Lily answered mysteriously, still smirking. "I'm sure you'll get it in time. I've got to go, the library's calling. I'll see you both at dinner, yeah?"

"Be there with bells on," James grinned, standing up to kiss the redhead briefly. Lily smiled back, glanced in Sirius's direction and shook her head, then turned and headed for the portrait hole. She stopped next to Remus as she passed the sofa, leaning down to whisper in his ear. Sirius scowled darkly and glared down at his blank parchment.

Fucking shagability. Even someone taken like Evans wasn't immune. He hated it.

"Hey, guys, Lily said you might need some help."

"I'm perfectly capable of writing my own bloody essay, thank you very much," Sirius hissed, getting to his feet and pushing past the sandy-blond now standing in front of him and James. His stomach was all twisted up again. Maybe he should go pay Poppy a visit. This tight, uncomfortable feeling couldn't be healthy.

"Oh. All right. Well, I'm available if you… okay, what jumped up his arse?" the animagus heard Remus ask in a very perplexed voice as he stormed across the room towards the staircase, snarling with every step. Fucking  _stupid_  shagability!

"Just something he has to work through on his own," came James's cheerfully amused answer. "But don't fret, Moony, my friend, I'm pretty sure that when he does figure it out, you'll be one of the first to know."


	2. Chapter 2

"Now this is the way to spend a Sunday."

Staring up at the leafy green branches above him, Sirius grunted in agreement, his body warm and drowsy as he lay beside the lake on an unusually hot January afternoon. It had been two months since he'd had his tantrum over his best mate's superpower, and he thankfully hadn't reacted that strongly since. Thinking about it after he'd calmed down had embarrassed him for some reason, so the animagus had put it out of his mind as best he could, only grumbling a little when Remus was approached, as he inevitably was.

Now, he and his friends were outside enjoying a few stress-free hours, James sitting next to him with his back against the trunk of the willow they were basking under, Peter curled up in a ball on the other side of the Head Boy, snoring in wheezy little breaths, his pointy face twitching in sleep. Lying to the right of Sirius, Remus sighed and nodded his head in his own agreement, a somewhat lazy movement, his soft green eyes closed. His face was unusually smooth and lax, empty of the strain the coming full moon had carved into his skin, as if the sun had baked the pain from him. Having already thrown off his heavy woollen jumper – a stable in the days leading up to the moon, as the bright, cold orb seemed to leech all warmth from Remus no matter what he wore – the sleeves of the werewolf's stone-grey shirt were rolled up to his elbows and his collar was open, revealing a glimpse of the boy's pale chest.

Remus looked relaxed. A slow smile spread across Sirius's face as he ran his eyes over his friend's slack-jawed features, a bubble of contentment growing in his chest, his gaze dropping down to linger just slightly on that open collar before finding the leaves above him again. It was the day of the moon, and seeing Remus carefree on those days in particular was an almost impossible occurrence. He echoed Remus's sigh, closed his eyes and silently thanked the sun for making its unexpected appearance. Anything that made Remus happy on the day of the moon made Sirius happy as well, and nothing made the sandy-blond happier than soaking up the heat usually denied to him at this point of the month.

Yes, today was a good day. They all had an exhausting night ahead of them, none more so than the werewolf himself, so to have a good day beforehand was a treat, to say the least. The sun was shining, the wind ruffled the leaves to provide a light breeze, the birds were giggling, and he had his mates nearby. He couldn't think of anything that would make this better, save not having to face the moon at all-

Wait a minute.  _Giggling?_

Sirius's eyes popped open as the sound continued to infiltrate the peace that surrounded him. He could hear the water splashing and whooshing in the Black Lake as the Giant Squid also took advantage of the unexpected sun, and yes, he could hear the birds  _chirping_  in the tree above him, but over top of all that, a series of shrill, high-pitched giggles cut through the air. They were coming from just off to his right, beyond where Remus was lying, making a frown pucker Sirius's forehead.

They were also getting louder. Which could only mean…

"Remus? Hi. Umm… can I talk to you? Just for a minute?"

A burst of that insipid giggling followed the question, and Sirius craned his neck to see a tall, dark-haired boy standing beside Remus. Not ten metres behind him huddled a group of three girls, the source of the giggling, and as Sirius's eyes flicked from the anticipation on the girl's faces, to the nervousness on the boy's, the quiet bliss within him began to twist and curl into a more agitated emotion.

"Mitchell. Sure, what can I do for you?" Remus answered tiredly as his eyes opened one by one, voice scratchy and slow, deep with lethargy. Sirius's mouth fell open, eyes jumping to Remus's face as the unintentionally sinful tone flowed like heated syrup, licking across his skin, warmth that wasn't caused by the sun creeping up his neck as a result. He cleared his throat and jerked his eyes away from the other man – Remus, his friend, one of his  _best mates!_  – gaze falling on the boy still standing over the mild-mannered Gryffindor.

Flushed cheeks. Hot eyes. A growl rumbled through Sirius's chest, his teeth baring. He got to his feet and moved closer, covertly helping the stiff-limbed werewolf up, steely eyes fixed on the fucker who was looking at Remus like he wanted to eat him.

"Easy, Pads. He hasn't actually done anything yet."

"Fuck off, James."

The Head Boy muttered something under his breath, the amusement disappearing from his tone, but Sirius was no longer paying attention. Mitchell was smiling at Remus. Albeit nervously, the anxiety having swallowed the lust, but it was a smile all the same, one that lit up his whiskey-coloured eyes beautifully. His agitation swelled.

Did Remus notice that? What  _did_ he notice? Even after knowing him for seven years, Sirius still wasn't entirely sure which team the werewolf played for. He'd never shown any interest in either sex – his monster complex probably having a lot to do with that – and though Sirius knew basically everything else about the bloke, his sexual preference still remained a mystery.

Remus was a very private person. Sometimes  _too_  private.

Maybe if he actually stated a preference, that stupid shagability wouldn't be so fucking volatile. Even letting it be known he played for both sides would dim it significantly-

"Er, alone? It- it won't take a moment."

Remus sighed. The sound was nearly silent, but Sirius heard it. "All right."

He followed Mitchell when the boy turned around and headed up towards the castle, the interloper's still giggling fanclub watching his progress and whispering amongst themselves. Sirius watched as well, jaw clenched. He sensed James hovering behind him, but didn't take his eyes off Remus's weighted down shoulders.

It was a predictable scene. The dark-haired lad stammered and stuttered, face blushing rosy, while Remus stiffened the more he spoke. But then, it stopped being so predictable. Shock rushed icy cold through Sirius when Remus reached out and brushed his hand along Mitchell's arm, stepping in closer to the other boy.

_What? This isn't… he can't…_

_What?_

There was a rushing in his ears. What was Remus doing? Was he  _using_  his superpower? He knew about it? He didn't know about it though! That's what made it a superpower! His thoughts circled helplessly, Remus turned from the chummy little tosspot with a smile on his lips, heading slowly up towards the courtyard, and fury bloomed savagely in Sirius's chest.

He knew about his shagability and he was actively choosing to use it! The  _wanker!_

"Oi! Lupin!"

"Bloody hell, Sirius, leave it alone! It probably isn't even what you think!"

Ignoring James's hiss, Sirius marched across the lawn towards Remus, who had stopped and turned when he'd heard his name. A tired smile appeared.

"Hey. I'm just going to head in, you don't have to come-"

"You've known all along, haven't you?"

"What?" Remus frowned, smile dying when he saw the aggravation on Sirius's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Your superpower! You've known all along, you've just been choosing not to use it!"

"I have a superpower? Like in a muggle comic book?"

"Of course you fucking do!" Sirius shouted, drawing the attention of the surrounding students. "You  _know_ you do! Why the hell didn't you let us in on the fact that you knew about it?"

"Sirius, I've no clue what you're on about," Remus sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands before eyeing the creeping crowd warily. "And quite frankly, at the moment I don't particularly care. Can we do this in a couple of days when I can think again? I really want to head in now."

Shoving aside the rush of guilt, Sirius sneered. "Oh, and I suppose you'd hang around for  _Mitchell_ , wouldn't you? You'd use that stupid shagabilty that you've been deceiving us about for years, and the git would follow you around like a lost little puppy!"

"Shaga… hold on,  _deceiving_  you? I'm not deceiving anyone!"

"Bullshit!" the animagus spat. "You've been lying about this for ages, admit it! So fucking closed off, keeping everything close to your chest-"

"I've not been lying about anything! Not to you!" Remus cried, throwing his hands in the air. "Where is this coming from? What the hell's your problem, Sirius?"

" _I_  don't have a problem; it's  _you_  using that fucking shagability that's the problem!" Sirius snarled, irrational anger pouring through him. How  _dare_  he deliberately keep him in the dark! He had a right to know! "Mitchell was lapping it up, wasn't he, the way you brushed your hand along his arm! I can't believe you've been lying to us all this time, Remus! I thought we were mates, but then mates don't lie to each other, do they? Maybe you should have  _Mitchell_  accompany you tonight, since he seems to be a closer  _friend_  than I am!"

Remus's jaw dropped. He stared at Sirius blankly for a moment, and then his eyes hardened.

"For your information,  _Black_ , I was not brushing my hand down Mitchell's arm in a flirtatious manner. He had Moondew pollen on his sleeve, and you know how much I can't stand that scent at the moment. It was driving me mental. But since you've come to the conclusion that I'm a liar who's been  _deceiving_ you for years, maybe you really shouldn't come tonight, yeah? You wouldn't want to spend this evening with someone who isn't who you thought they were, would you? Someone who isn't a  _close friend._ "

The birds still chirped. The Giant Squid still played in the Black Lake and the sun still shone. But Sirius couldn't feel that heat any longer. The only heat he felt was the burn of humiliation.

He'd been  _sure!_  His jaw worked, his fingers clenched, his cheeks reddened. He'd been so sure… but there was still that superpower, wasn't there? Mitchell had wanted him.

He still had that  _fucking_  shagability.

"Fine then, I won't!" he yelled, mortification building as the crowd muttered. The colour drained from Remus's face.

"Padfoot, come on," James murmured from behind him. "Don't be like that."

"No, Prongs, Remus doesn't want me there, so I  _won't_  be there!" Sirius snarled, once again ignoring that hot, sweaty rush of guilt. "He can face the night without me for once! See what he's bloody well missing!"

With that, he stormed past the stupefied werewolf and into the castle, the crowd parting to let him through. He didn't stop until he got to Gryffindor Tower, stomping up the stairs to the dorms and jerking back his curtains, scrambling onto his bed and pulling them violently closed.

They stubbornly stayed closed for the rest of the afternoon.

~0~

Much later that night, in a decrepit old shack the villagers of Hogsmeade swore was haunted, a seventeen-year-old boy with burning muscles and aching bones, a roiling stomach and a headache to rival the strongest hangover paced as best he could, a large stag and a scrawny rat watching him with worry in their eyes from the other side of the room. The boy was muttering under his breath and wringing his hands, pale green eyes tinged with amber flicking every once in a while to the door, a look of frustration and something akin to panic twisting the lines of his face when the doorway remained empty. Finally, as the moon began to ascend and the boy began to tremble, sweat breaking out on his brow, those lines fell into a look of bitter disappointment.

He sat down on the bed, his head falling into his hands… and then it snapped up again, his gaze locking on the large black dog that had suddenly filled the doorway and was now slinking into the room.

The boy was silent as the dog made his way over to the other animals, head bowed. It sat down on its haunches and continued to stare at the dusty floor for the longest moment before it raised its head to meet the boy's gaze. Apology and heavy regret shining from grey eyes, a whine falling from between its jaws, the dog took a tentative step forward and then stopped, unsure.

The boy and the dog looked at each other, neither making a sound, the moment strained and cracking with tension. Slowly, however, the dog's tail began to wag, a canine grin stretching its jowls when the boy suddenly blew out a gusty breath and shook his head, a slip of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You are the world's biggest arsehole, you know that?" he muttered, voice raspy. The dog barked, a decidedly joyful sound, and rushed forward to nuzzle at the boy's chest, making him chuckle. He sighed again and reached out to play his fingers across the dog's head, petting its ears, his body sagging a little with relief…

…and then the moon abruptly reached its peak and the screaming started.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Padfoot. Again?"

The exasperated groan drew Sirius's attention for a brief moment before narrowed grey eyes flicked back to the group standing a few metres away from him. His fingers clenched around the glass of cheap firewhiskey in his hand – they weren't ever leaving the acquirement of alcohol up to Wormtail again – teeth grinding behind tightly pressed lips. A laugh sounded from the group, coming from one person in particular, and inky-black hair lifted and fell back into place over his ears as his chin dropped, eyes fixed on the laughing Indian bird, his posture abruptly resembling an overly provoked, angry bull. He heard James sigh behind him but didn't turn to look again. His attention was solely focused on the girl in the sari with her arm wrapped around Remus's waist.

An arm that Remus wasn't pushing away.

Sirius's stomach twisted into uncomfortable, furious knots as he stood and seethed, watching the mating dance he was sure was playing out right in front of him. Alcohol gave even the shyest person a boost of courage, and Moony had drunk a lot that night. A lot more than he usually did. Sirius didn't know why the bloke was gulping it down like water, but he'd been acting strange ever since Gryffindor had won the Quidditch match earlier that day. Sirius had been too preoccupied with the witch who had unexpectedly kissed him to notice at first, but after he'd pulled away and looked up, he'd seen Remus walking away, leaving the pitch rather quickly. They'd been something off about him since then, and now the alcohol he was throwing back as if it was no stronger than pumpkin juice was only compounding whatever that was.

Maybe Sirius had drunk too much as well. Maybe that was why whatever was going on with Remus was pissing him off rather than worrying him, as it clearly was Evans, who was watching Remus carefully from over by the portrait hole. Because there was no mistaking it this time. Sirius may have gotten it wrong at the beginning of the year, something the two boys hadn't ever gotten around to talking about, but the signals the werewolf was giving off now were as blatant as they came.

Remus was trying his hardest to pull Ada Patil. He was actively using his superpower. And that one fact was putting Sirius in one hell of a foul mood.

"You two really need to sort this shit out. It's getting really old, really fast."

"Go snog Evans and leave me the fuck alone, would you Prongs?"

James ignored him. "Just talk to him already! This is supposed to be a party and you're both miserable!"

"Does  _that_  look like miserable to you?" Sirius snarled, nodded towards Remus as he leaned in and whispered in Ada's ear, the seventh-year Ravenclaw blushing a pretty rose and giggling behind her hand, dark eyes locked on her companion. "He's clearly fucking  _not_  miserable, is he? No, Moony's having the time of his life." He lifted the glass and drained it dry, holding back a wince at the almost chemical aftertaste. Cheap, useless shit. He clearly hadn't drunk too much if he couldn't even get a buzz when he wanted one! Then again, he didn't need  _firewhiskey_  for a buzz… "But you're right. This  _is_  a party, and I should be having fun, shouldn't I?"

James's eyes narrowed, his own spilt drink lying forgotten on the bench seat behind him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said, Prongs," Sirius answered, jaw set as he dragged his gaze away from the drunk werewolf and began searching the room. "Remus isn't the only one who has a superpower, is he? He's not the only one who's pulling prowess is legendary."

His determined gaze landed on a bloke sitting and chatting to his friends on the other side of the room. A slow, conniving smile tugged his lips upward.  _Perfect._

"Young Raj has been eyeing me up for weeks. I believe it's time I let him get what he wants." He put the glass down on a nearby table and took a step forward, pausing when James grabbed his arm.

"Sirius, Raj Patil is Ada's brother."

The smirk grew. "I know."

Shrugging off James's hand and making his way through the crowd, Sirius ignored the weighted, prickly feeling of Remus's eyes on him as he weaved around what seemed to be the entire population of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor's fifth, sixth and seventh-years. Raj wanted him, Sirius wanted a shag, and Remus had nothing to do with that. He stopped in front of the Indian boy once he'd reached him, not saying a word, waiting for the fifth-year Hufflepuff to noticed him. It wasn't long until Raj did exactly that, one of his mates nudging him, and dark cheeks reddening just a touch when he turned to greet his unexpected visitor.

"Sirius. Umm, hi. What are you-"

He shut up abruptly when Sirius held out his hand and once again waited, still not saying anything. Raj's eyes widened and he visibly swallowed as he stared at the hand, his gaze jumping to Sirius's and his cheeks reddening further at the offer he read in them, his tongue flicking out to lick at his lips in a nervous gesture. Finally, after what the animagus took as a short internal debate, he lifted his own slightly trembling hand and placed it in Sirius's.

Sirius grinned and tugged the boy to his feet, leading him back through the crowd, internally preening under the large stroke to his ego when Raj turned and threw his mates an eager thumbs-up over his shoulder. The two boys passed Remus and Ada as they made their way back across the room, Ada looking narrow-eyed and suspicious while Remus… Sirius quickly looked away, gritting his teeth against that increasingly familiar greasy surge of guilt.

A frown pulled at his brow. He'd never felt it in this context before. The frown rapidly turned into a scowl and he pulled Raj faster, passing James and Lily, who was now standing beside her messy-haired fellow Head. His best mate looked resigned and his best mate's girlfriend looked distinctly unimpressed. Sirius ignored them both, and soon the music and the sound of the crowd died, fading as he and Raj climbed the stairs up to the animagus's dorm.

Sirius found himself stopping at the door, his conscience belatedly rearing its head. He grimaced and turned to the younger boy, meeting those dark, nervy eyes.

"You sure?"

Raj's brows shot up. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it again, his lips folding. Sirius held his gaze and watched the boy take a deep, steadying breath, the nerves gradually evaporating, a much more base emotion drowning them out. After a moment he nodded firmly.

"Yes. I want… I want this."

"Good," Sirius smirked, conscience settling as heated eyes ran over the trim, firm body standing before him. The boy certainly was fit. He looked back up and stepped forward, deliberately bumping his chest against the Hufflepuff's. "Because I want you."

Those dark eyes went completely black, and it was Raj's hand that turned the doorknob. He stepped forward himself and pushed against the other boy, herding the Gryffindor into the silent, empty dormitory.

It didn't stay silent for long.

~0~

"Oh, fuck! Sirius!"

Sirius bared his teeth and thrust harder, his hands clutching the tangled sheets, sweat dripping in his eyes. The body under him withered and whined, dark skin glistening, his legs folded against this chest, hips lifting to meet Sirius's every movement. He could tell the boy was close, just as Sirius was. But the kid was going to go first, that was for fucking sure, and with that thought in mind, Sirius wrapped his hand around the boy's cock and began to stroke in time with his thrusts.

_Come on. Just a little more. Come on. Right there. Yes. Right there!_

Sirius angled his hips and Raj's eyes flew open, a strangled bellow of his name ringing through the dorm, his body surging off the bed, cock pulsing. His muscles clenched around Sirius and a guttural moan fell from the animagus's lips as his own orgasm overtook him, making him shake. When the climax had faded, both boys collapsed back onto the mattress and Sirius pulled out with a groan, landing on his back beside the younger lad.

The dorm was silent as they caught their breaths.

"Umm. Wow. That was fantastic. That was… wow."

Smirking behind the arm that covered his face, Sirius didn't move. The kid had been unsure at first, but he'd soon gotten the hang of things, ending with them both having quite the enjoyable time. Plus, the way the lad had shouted Sirius's name in the throes had been a hell of an ego boost. One he hadn't realized he'd needed.

No, Moony definitely wasn't the only one who had a superpower. He and his stupid shagability could go suck it. Sirius sat up and reached for his wand, cleaning up of the mess before getting off the bed, grabbing his jeans and pulling them on.

"Sure, it was good, kid. You picked it up right quick. We should head back down to the party now, though. We'll do this again soon, yeah?"

The lack of reply had Sirius turning to look at the boy still lying naked on his bed. He frowned as the lad stared up at him, something flashing through his eyes. His mouth twisted and he sat up, wincing a little as he got off the bed.

"Right. Right. Yeah, let's go. Can't hang around up here, can we?"

The Hufflepuff kept his head down and dressed quickly, Sirius pulling on his shirt and watching him, brows drawn down. He had to have known. The kid had to have known that all this was was a quick shag. Nothing more. Sirius was sure that had been clear.

Going by the way the boy wouldn't meet his eyes, it obviously hadn't been. The animagus sighed.

"Raj, look-"

The door opened and Sirius looked over into startled, surprisingly sober green eyes. Said eyes widened and flicked quickly from Sirius's open shirt and unbuckled jeans, to Raj's sweater on inside out, to the rumpled, clearly just-used bed. Nostrils flared and Remus's face blanked completely before a small, somewhat sardonic smile appeared.

"Yeah, figured so. If you're done, I'm heading to bed."

He walked over to his four-poster, climbed on and closed the curtains behind him. Sirius blinked, shifted his feet and scowled, swallowing the ridiculously heavy unease making his stomach clench and his heart race.

Why the hell did it feel like Remus was judging him? Why did that make him so uncomfortable? And who the hell did he think he was, anyway? Hadn't Remus been the one who'd been all but sticking his tongue down Raj's sister's throat an hour ago?

_Shit, Raj!_

Head whipping back around, he found the younger boy looking at him as if he'd just figured something out. Raj smiled when he met Sirius's eyes, disappointment skirting the edges of the expression. He turned around and walked out of the room. With a sigh and one last look at Remus's closed curtains, the animagus did up his pants and shirt and followed him.

They'd nearly reached the bottom of the stairs before the Sirius tried again.

"Listen, Raj, I'm sorry if you-"

"It's all right, Sirius, don't worry about it," the Hufflepuff interjected, turning to face the older boy and smiling dejectedly. "I did know what I was getting into."

"You did?" Sirius asked, doubt clear. Raj nodded.

"Yeah. I knew that it would probably only be a one-time thing, but at the time I wanted you enough not to care. I just got my hopes up a little at the end there. I see now that it's never going to happen."

Even though he agreed, black brows still arched. "It's not?"

"No," Raj shook his head. "Not with Remus and all. But that's okay. I at least had you, so I'm happy."

Sirius frowned. "Remus? What's he got to do with it?" he questioned, confusion killing any preening the prior words may have produced. Raj blinked at him.

"You're kidding, right?" he deadpanned, a huff of laughter escaping when Sirius continued to stare at him in confusion. "Blimey, you're not. You don't see? How can you… Sirius you fancy him."

"Fancy who?" the animagus asked, starting to get irritated. He  _really_  didn't like being kept in the dark.

"Remus, Sirius, you fancy Remus! And I can't be totally sure, but I think he fancies you too."

Sirius gawped. Fancy Remus? What was the git on about? He couldn't… he couldn't! He was his best mate!

"Did you not see Remus flirting with your sister earlier this evening?" he growled, gut twisting as if the entire snake pit had taken up residence in his intestines. His heart was slamming in his ribcage and his palms were sweating. Grey eyes widened as memories swam through his head.

Remus's superpower. Being so incredibly pissed off about his shagability. Wanting to hex anyone who came near him.

The muscles in his shoulder and arms. His unbuttoned collar. His hair. His eyes. His voice.

His mouth.

The disbelief, the betrayal when he'd thought Remus had known about his shagability and hadn't told him. The hurt when he'd touched Mitchell's arm.

The jealousy.

His eyes flicked to Raj. Bloody hell. Tonight. The jealousy.

It clinked with the force of a battering ram.

_Holy fucking Merlin, he fancied Remus._

"'Course I did… oh. That's what tonight was about, huh?"

Sirius pushed aside the astonishment and focused back on the Hufflepuff, the small voice making his insides squirm. That's  _exactly_  what Raj had been about. Guilt flared and his eyes quickly dropped. "Fuck, Raj, I'm really sorry."

The Indian boy smiled ruefully and shook his head. "No, no, I told you it was okay already, didn't I? Just ignore me. I've wanted you for ages, I've had you, and it was fucking  _great_. What more could I ask for?"

A snort burst from Sirius, his head lifting. "Great? That's all you've got? You said it was fantastic before."

"Yeah, well, your head's big enough already, isn't it?" Raj shrugged, eyes laughing. Sirius grinned back at him briefly, but soon found his gaze drawn to the top of the stairs.

_He fancied Remus._

How the hell was he supposed to deal with that?

"You should go talk to him."

"He was trying to get in your sister's knickers."

"Fuck, don't say it like that," Raj winced. "I don't want that visual. And didn't you hear me before? I think he fancies you too."

"Then why was he all over a bird for?"

"That could have something to do with the  _bird_  he saw snogging your face off after the match today," a female voice said from the bottom of the stairs, and Sirius's head swung around to gawk at an annoyed looking Lily, James standing right behind her. "Besides, Sirius, you  _can_  like both. You're living proof of that."

Sirius's expression twisted with indecision, his eyes going back to the top of the stairs to linger before he turned to the two Heads. "He fancies me?"

"You need to find that out for yourself," Lily stated, sighing. James just looked sympathetic. "But not tonight, yeah? Give him a little time to… settle a little."

She looked at Raj, Sirius followed her gaze, and he groaned, leg's sinking until he was sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He fancied Remus, Remus might fancy him back, and Remus had just walked in on the aftermath of Sirius fucking someone else. And to top it of that clusterfuck of epic proportions, Sirius wasn't even sure he knew how he  _felt_  about wanting to snog the pants off one of his best mates.

What in the bloody hell was he going to do?


	4. Chapter 4

"Right, lads, lets head down, yeah? Lily'll murder me if we're too much longer- oi, where'd Moony go?"

Standing in the rapidly emptying common room, his trunk he'd just packed for the very last time  _ever_  waiting behind him, Sirius followed James's gaze, a frown appearing when he saw that they were indeed one Marauder short. James was standing directly in front of the portrait hole, not even acknowledging the students he was forcing to scramble around him, and Peter was crouched down next to him, frantically digging through his trunk in search of something, but Remus was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't gone through the portrait hole ahead of them, and considering he'd been with them when they'd dragged their trunks downstairs half an hour before, he couldn't still be packing – not that Moony would ever leave his packing to the last minute anyway – so where was he?

"Maybe he forgot something? Go and check, would you, Padfoot?"

Sirius turned his head to look incredulously at James, but the bespectacled boy wasn't looking in his direction. Impatience in every line of his body, James Potter clearly wanted to be out of the common room and on his way down to the Express quick smart, most likely so he could appease any annoyance on his hopefully soon-to-be fiancée's part. Sirius was well aware that James intended to propose to Lily as soon as he got the chance – he in fact would have proposed much earlier if it hadn't already known that Evans was stringently opposed to settling into something serious while they were still in school. Truth be told, Sirius didn't really understand that, as James and Lily were about as serious as you could get without it being formal right now, but his opinion didn't really count in the matter.

Evans was against getting engaged while still in school, so James intended to propose either on the train or after they'd reached Platform 9 ¾. They wouldn't be in school any longer then, would they? Sirius just hoped that for Prongs's sake, Evans saw it the same way.

"You're kidding, right? Remus won't have forgotten anything. He doesn't know  _how_  to miss things."

"Well, he's not here, is he? Just go check, Pads. We'll meet you at the train."

With that, he bumped a second-year out of his way and stepped through the portrait hole. Sirius glared after him and then turned to the stairs, grumbling as he walked up them.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go check on Moony. Remus was his mate after all, and if the bloke didn't hurry up, he'd miss the train. It was just that ever since the Quidditch after-party and the whole thing with Raj three months ago, things had been…  _strange_  between them.

Grimacing as that thought made his stomach twist, he made his way towards his dorm –  _old_  dorm now – and opened the door. A quick glance around the room didn't show him anything at first, but a second one had him stopping on the leg he could just see poking out from the far corner of James's old bed. Blinking at the weirdly placed limb, he walked further into the room and frowned when he saw Remus sitting on the floor with his back against the end of his own bed, his legs straight out in front of him and his gaze apparently focused on nothing – or maybe just the room at large. Sirius took a step closer, a trickle of concern running through his chest.

"Moony? You all right? The train's leaving soon, we should really go."

Aside from opening his mouth, Remus's unruffled expression didn't change. "I'm fine, Sirius. I'll be down in a minute."

 _Fine, my arse,_  Sirius thought, concern growing. Remus's voice was as composed as his face was, and it was that that had the animagus hesitating for a brief second before walking over and flopping himself down next to the werewolf, his legs stretched out beside Remus's, making sure to leave a good half a metre between them. Remus's body tensed a little but he didn't say anything in complaint, for which Sirius found himself ridiculously glad. He was no longer able to tell just how, er,  _friendly_  he and Remus were allowed to be nowadays.

That single fact kept him up a lot at night.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly, staring out at the room and trying his best to ignore the body heat fairly pumping from the boy next to him. His nose twitched a little, images of turning and burying the appendage into Remus's neck playing havoc with his brain. The lad smelt like parchment and ink and soap and woodchips for some reason, and under that, something so acutely  _Remus_  that it made Sirius's throat swell.

Merlin, he  _hated_  this. He  _hated_  being at odds with one of his best mates, and what made it worse was that they  _weren't_  at odds; not really. They were fine, they were friends, but there was that undercurrent that Sirius despised, that never really went away-

"Nothing's the matter."

"Right," Sirius drawled, pushing aside the silly distress. He and Remus were  _fine._  "'Cause that's why you're sitting up here by yourself instead of heading to the train and freedom. We're almost  _out of here_ , Moony! Why are you… oh."

A ghost of a smile tilted Remus's lips. "Figured it out, did you?"

"Yes, well, no one ever said I wasn't daft," the animagus commented absently, eyes now on Remus, brows pulled down over them. His forehead furrowed further as he tried to figure out what to say next. "Remus… ah… you knew you would be leaving eventually."

He cringed as soon as the words left his mouth.  _For fuck's sake, Black, that's what you come up with? Way to make him feel better, you moron!_

A laugh broke him from his thoughts, and Sirius blinked in confusion. Remus had drawn his legs up and his elbows were now resting on his knees, his fingertips rubbing circles in his temple. Sirius's fingers itched to knock Remus's aside. He quickly sat on them.

"Of course I did, Padfoot, I just didn't realize… fuck it."

"I get it," Sirius muttered, suddenly finding the wall above Remus's head extraordinarily interesting. And he did. Before he'd moved in with the Potters, Hogwarts had been the only home he'd ever known. The  _house_  he'd grown up in had never been a  _home._ 12 Grimmauld Place wasn't even a house, really; it was a  _House_ , capital  _H_ , more than anything else, and it was one that Sirius never wanted to set foot in again. He sighed and looked back at Remus, swallowing hard as a thought somewhat belatedly occurred to him. "Do you… er, do you want me to go get Ada?"

For the first time since Sirius had walked into the room, Remus turned his head and looked at him. He didn't same anything for what seemed like a very long time, just silently held his gaze, and as the animagus couldn't read anything in those soft green eyes, agitation began to burrow in his chest. Was that the wrong thing to suggest? Ada was Remus's girlfriend after all. Had been for three months, ever since…

Ever since.

Sirius  _really_  didn't like Ada Patil.

"No, Sirius, I don't want you to do that. We broke up."

"What? When?" Sirius blurted, eyes wide with shock. Hope soared foolishly through him and then was snuffed out of existence, leaving a cold, empty feeling behind it, all in the space of a heartbeat. Just because Remus and the bint were no longer together, didn't mean Sirius had any chance whatsoever.

It hadn't even been that long since Sirius had realized he'd  _wanted_ a chance. Knowing he fancied Remus was one thing, acknowledging that he desperately wanted to act on those feelings was something entirely different. His jealously had still been prominent when he'd seen Remus and Ada together; hot and horrible and all but suffocating, but it was as he lay behind his curtains at night that he pieced together  _why_  the jealously was so striking. Had  _always_  been so bloody striking, even when he'd gotten the wrong impression.

It was the little things. Them holding hands. The way she looked at him. The title they had for each other: boyfriend and girlfriend. The utter  _right_  Ada had to sit down next to Remus and sink into his side.

Sirius wanted that. By Merlin, did he ever fucking want that. He wanted to be able to call Remus his; but he couldn't. He'd realized far,  _far_  too late and Remus had moved on.

If they'd ever actually been anything to move on from in the first place.

No, it didn't matter that Remus was single now. Because Sirius had ruined it, hadn't he? He'd fucked it up good and proper. Therefore, Remus was his friend, nothing more. And since he was lucky to even have that, Sirius was trying to be happy with just friendship.

_Trying._

"Last week," Remus answered, startling the animagus from his reverie.  _Last week? What the fuck…?_

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The werewolf shrugged and looked away. "I didn't feel like talking about it."

"Oh. Okay. Umm… shit. I'm sorry, Moony."

The shoulders next to him lifted again and another laugh escaped, this one sounding a little mordant. "Nothing to be sorry about. Should've really been expecting it."

"Why?" Sirius asked quietly, curious despite himself. Ada had been the dumper? He didn't understand that. Remus muscles seemed to lock down at the question and then he was suddenly on his feet.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go, yeah? Don't want to miss the train."

The panic surged out of nowhere. "What? No! Remus, talk to me! Please!" Sirius fumbled to his feet in an almost gawky tangle of limbs, then paced over towards a startled, frozen Remus and paced back again, unable to keep still. Scrubbing at his face, he turned and began to talk, the words tripping over themselves in their haste to get out.

"Look. Look. I know there's something off between us, and I know that that's somehow my fault, but please don't widen the gap any further. I'm an idiot, a daft pillock, a right and utter bastard, I know I'm all that, and I know I haven't been the best mate in the world this year, and I'm sorry, I'm really so sorry for that. But I've got my head on straight again. I have. I just, I need you to meet me halfway. You really don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but don't not talk to me about it because I'm an idiot. You're my best mate, Moony. Please. I need… I need my friend back. Please."

Remus's expression swung through a whole variety of emotions so quickly Sirius couldn't fathom them out in time. The only one he could identify was the almost morose look in his eyes at the end before his face settled into neutral lines.

"Right. Friends," he muttered, sighing and taking a seat on the end of James's bed. His lips pressed together and he looked up, wariness swimming in his gaze. "You being a pillock isn't the reason I don't want to talk about it with you, Sirius. It's, er, sort of private and it isn't something I've admitted out loud to anyone before. It's a little daunting, to tell the truth."

"What is it?" Sirius frowned, lowering himself onto the end of his own bed opposite Remus. "Whatever it is, Moony, you can tell me."

Remus nodded and then took a deep breath, eyes closing briefly. "Umm. Okay. So the reason why Ada broke it off is… I, ah, I couldn't actually bring myself to move past first base."

Sirius blinked. "Oh. She… she wanted to shag?"

"No!" Remus answered hurriedly, laughing a little before groaning and rubbing his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger. "No. She didn't… not that far. But she did, erm, want to be a little less…  _chaste._  And I couldn't- I couldn't."

"Oh," Sirius repeated, a little confused and more than a little uncomfortable. His knee jumped, heel tapping the floor over and over. "You didn't want to?"

"Not… not with her. Not with any girl."

A dark flush crept up Sirius's neck.  _Fuck. Oh, fuck. Sweet Merlin._ "You're not attracted to girls?"

"No, Padfoot. I'm not," Remus answered, looking directly into Sirius's eyes. Almost as if he was challenging him. Sirius swallowed.

"Then why did you go out with her?" he squeaked. His heart was beating so very fast. He knew the answer he wanted, but he also knew that that answer was probably the last he was going to get. He'd fucked up after all.

Remus grimaced and sighed again, dropping his eyes. "I guess maybe because I wanted to be normal? For once in my life. And I thought- I was upset about… something and I thought that a little retaliation was called for, and maybe it would also help confirm my ho- suspicions. Because he was so blatant. But it didn't. Nothing happened. He backed away." He muttered that last part almost to himself and then folded his lips and shook his head, glanced up, then quickly went back to contemplating the floor. "So I tried to force it with Ada, but she could tell me heart and, er, other things weren't in it, and last week she'd had enough. She broke it off."

"You used her," Sirius mumbled, mind whirling, before wincing and smacking his forehead when Remus's head shot up, a scowl on his face. "Shit, sorry, I didn't mean it like that-"

"No, it's all right, I did, didn't I?" the werewolf sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It was best for both of us to break up. This way she can actually find someone who wants her and I can- what are you doing?"

Sirius's mind spun, his legs straightening and lifting him off the bed, moving him slowly towards Remus as his brain returned again and again to the werewolf muttering about  _he_  being blatant, about  _he_ backing off, and needing to  _retaliate._  About being upset. Sirius had been blatant. Even if he hadn't realized how blatant he'd been, everyone else had, and Remus had been  _upset._  About Raj. He hadn't imagined the look on his face. Then Sirius had effectively 'backed off' when it had been shoved in his face that he fancied Remus and he didn't know what to think about that, and then when he had, he'd thought he'd ruined it and had resigned himself to only being Remus's friend. Because Remus had a girlfriend. But now he didn't and he only had the girlfriend in the first place because he'd wanted  _retaliation_ … he moved closer still, grey eyes snapping down and locking on green.

"Sirius, what are you doing?"

The animagus swallowed. "Hoping like fuck I'm not making another mistake," he croaked. Then, bolstered by the highness of Remus's voice and the redness of his cheeks, he took a final step, ducked his head and pressed his lips to Remus's.

The kiss was brief, but it was significant. Remus gasped in surprise, his mouth opening under Sirius's, and it took everything Sirius had not to take advantage of that as an undeniable  _craving_  sprang to life in his breast. He angled his head and slanted his lips over the soft, sweet,  _hot_  mouth under his, lapping his tongue along the skin and feeling Remus shudder in response, but he didn't take it into snogging territory.

If he was going to do this right, he was going to do this  _right._  He'd fucked up far too much already.

Groaning a little and lifting his hand to cup the side of Remus's neck, he dragged his mouth across Remus's and nibbled at the bottom lip, a sound of satisfaction rumbling in his chest before drawing back half an inch and staring into decidedly blurred eyes. Sirius cursed under his breath at the way the werewolf was looking at him, his hand tightening. Remus's eyes flashed and he leant forward… and Sirius hurriedly took a large step back.

Remus's mouth dropped open. "What…?"

"Don't. Just don't look at me like that, okay?" the animagus groaned, falling back onto the opposite bed, head down, his hands clenched to fists on his knees. "Not yet. We need to talk and…  _fuck._ Why the hell did you have to taste so bloody good?"

There was startled silence from the bed across from him. Then, Sirius's head lifted in disbelief when a burst of laughter cut through the room. Remus was literally snorting behind his hand, shoulders shaking with his amusement.

"Why are you laughing?" the dark-haired wizard asked, unable to help the bolt of hurt tightening his chest. Remus shook his head, his giggles gradually subsiding.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just… Merlin, you're so bloody confusing, you know? I think you're interested; hell, you do things that pretty much  _guarantee_  you're interested, then you go cold on me, and now you're blowing hot again? It's exhausting trying to keep up with you, Sirius. I thought you just wanted to be friends?"

"Only because I thought I'd destroyed any chance I had," Sirius replied in a soft voice. He sighed and leant back, running a hand through his hair. "Moony, look, I said it before, didn't I? I'm a right bastard. I didn't even realize I fancied you until I was smacked over the head with it, and by then I'd done some childish, reprehensible things in my stupidity. When you walked in on me and Raj… that was inexcusable. Not just to you, but to Raj as well. I didn't even have the excuse of being drunk. I'm so sorry. I can't begin to explain how sorry I am for the way I've treated you, for the way I've acted. For my senseless, irrational jealously, and for not even realizing that's what it was. For mucking you around so much. But if… but if you gave me another chance, I could try my best to make it up to you. I  _will_  make it up to you. That I can promise."

Remus stared, uncertainty lighting his eyes. "You don't need to ask for a chance to be my friend, Padfoot. You'll always be my friend, no matter what."

"While I'm fucking glad to hear that, Moony, it wasn't friendship I was asking for," Sirius retorted immediately, fingers drumming against his thighs. His gut wouldn't stay where it belonged. It seemed like it was trying everything it could to surge up his throat and escape through his mouth.

"What are you asking for then?"

The animagus groaned and got up, once again unable to keep still. "For Merlin's sake, man, are you being deliberately obtuse?"

"No more obtuse than you've been for the past year. Two years, actually, considering that's when I started fancying you."

"Two years? Really? You started in sixth- no, that's not important at the moment, stop distracting me!" Sirius growled. He turned and glared when he saw the small grin on Remus's face. "That's right; laugh it up, never mind that my heart's on my fucking sleeve here!"

The grin died instantly. "Your heart?"

"Bloody hell, I don't know," the dark-haired wizard sighed. He walked over and sat down beside Remus, angling his body towards the once again uncertain werewolf. "But that's kind of what I want to figure out. If you'd give me the chance. Please, Moony. Just one more. I won't fuck it up."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Remus muttered and Sirius grimaced. Shite, what a mess. "But I can't really talk, can I?" the sandy-blond continued conversationally, bringing Sirius's head up. "I basically did the same thing with Ada that you did with Raj. I even had a proper relationship with her. And I never told you how I felt. So we're both at fault when you think about it."

Hope bloomed, immense and painful. "Does that… does that mean you'll give me a go?"

Remus bit his lip. "What about the werewolf thing?" he whispered, eyes suddenly on his hands. Sirius blinked. The blinked again.

"You're kidding me," he deadpanned, growling softly when Remus's head didn't rise. "For fuck's sake, Moony, I've been your friend for seven years! I became an illegal animagus to keep you company during the full! Why the hell would you think that would change just because I now want to press you under me and snog you until you can't remember your name?"

A blush rose fiercely in Remus's cheeks. Sirius held his breath and dipped his head to catch those gorgeous eyes, a jittery half-smile appearing when the werewolf lifted his head. "So…?"

"Umm. O-okay. Yeah."

The smile hurt, it was so wide. "Yeah?"

Remus nodded, smiling slowly back at him. "Yeah."

The empty dorm rang with Sirius's whoop of joy as he threw himself at the other wizard and eagerly smashed his lips against Remus's laughing mouth, the werewolf's amusement fading as the simple kiss of triumph rapidly transformed into a heated snogging session. Groaning sighs and frantic hands turned the air in the room stifling, and Sirius was just fumbling with the last button of Remus's shirt, low oaths falling from his lips, when a whistle echoed in the distance.

"Shit! Sirius, the train!"

"H-huh?"

"The train, Sirius, we're going to miss the Express! Come on, get up, let's go!"

"Erm… right. The train," Sirius mumbled, blood still considerably too far south to allow him swift comprehension. He blinked a couple of times and watched Remus throw himself off the bed and frenziedly do up his buttons in idle fascination. The werewolf glowered when he turned to see Sirius still lying complaisant on the bed.

"For shite's sake, Padfoot, get  _up!_  The Hogwarts Express's probably leaving the station as we speak! We're going to miss it, and then we'll be stuck here!"

"Stuck here? We can't be stuck anywhere… bloody fucking Merlin, Moony, the train!"

"Now he gets it," Remus grumbled, already on his way to the door. Sirius streaked after him, grabbing his t-shirt and pulling it back on as he ran, and then the two wizards were sprinting through the deserted school and out across the grounds. They burst out through the gates and Sirius grabbed Remus's arm in preparation for apparition.

"So, you ever going to tell me what that weird shagability is that you mentioned months ago?" the werewolf asked breathlessly. Sirius frowned at him.

"You remember that?"

"'Course I do. It's not every day you get accused of having a superpower, especially one that's obviously made up."

"It's not made up!" Sirius cried indignantly. "I  _hate_  that thing!"

"All right then, so what is it?"

"Never you mind," the animagus replied in a petulant mutter. If Remus didn't already know the details of his superpower, Sirius wasn't going to enlighten him.

"Oi!" Remus protested with a scowl, taking hold of Sirius's other arm. "It's  _my_  shagability, I should know about it! Why won't you tell me? It's not like I'll ever  _use_  it, but I should at least know-"

"Shut up, Remus," Sirius interjected abruptly before darting forward and dropping a hard, swift kiss on the werewolf's pouting mouth. He then turned on the spot and the two wizards disappeared with a sharp  _crack._

They made it onto the train with less than half a minute to spare.


End file.
